526 Laridce. 



as Fitik Tdrna, or ' Fish Tern ' ; but by the fishermen it is more 

 generally known as Mack-rill Tdrna, or ' Mackerel Tern,' from its 

 habit of following the mackerel shoals in order that it may pick 

 up marine insects, Crustacea, and small fish which these in their 

 progress frighten up to the surface of the water. Its provincial 

 names on the British coast are so numerous that I will not 

 attempt to recount them. The Common Tern is in France 

 Hirondelle de mer pien*e garin; in Germany, Gemeine Meer- 

 schwalbe; in Portugal, Andorinha do mar; and in Spain, 

 Golondrina de mar, all bearing the same meaning of ' Sea 

 Swallow.' The Common Tern is not, however, so generally dis- 

 tributed on our shores as its name would seem to imply. It is, 

 however, abundant in some favoured localities : more common 

 on the western than on the eastern coasts of Great Britain. 

 Montagu expresses surprise that it has been found so far from 

 the sea as Bath, but many such instances must now be familiar 

 to all observers. Lord Methuen tells me it has been killed at 

 Corsham Court ; I hear of another killed at Kennet in 1881, and 

 one at Poulshot in 1861. But, indeed, I have had so many 

 notices of its occurrence from time to time, both in North and 

 South Wilts, that it would only be tedious to enumerate them. 

 I may mention, however, that Mr. Grant alone has had the 

 following specimens pass through his hands : In 1866, Sep- 

 tember 20, one from Collingbourne ; in 1868, August 21, one 

 from the Canal, Kowde ; and October 3 one from Devizes Locks, 

 and another from Potterne ; in 1869, September 23, two from 

 Berwick Bassett ; in 1871, September 29, one from Erchfont ; in 

 1874, May 29, one from Great Bedwyn. Its general plumage is 

 pearl-gray above and white below ; but the velvet-black crown 

 of the head and the bright red beak, legs, and feet conduce 

 much to the really handsome appearance of this slender, 

 graceful bird. 



221. ARCTIC TERN (Sterna arctica). 



This species is perhaps numerically more abundant than the 

 preceding, to which, indeed, it bears a very close resemblance, 



